1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to methods for providing physical therapy, and more particularly to providing physical therapy services via an electronic communication system.
2. Previous Art
During the past few decades the demand for physical therapy services has risen. Therapists have grown in number. Injury victims, including those experiencing pain or immobility, commonly see a physical therapist during medical treatment and expect the therapist to address the pain or immobility.
During a typical physical therapy session, the therapist assesses a client's physical situation by reviewing relevant medical records and by direct observation of the client. Often the therapist's remedial techniques include hands-on treatment. Such treatment may include massage, joint manipulation and postural adjustments. Often the client's response to hands-on treatment is used to enable the therapist to further understand, and remedy the client's condition.
Various techniques of providing physical therapy are taught to and typically used by physical therapists. These techniques are implemented through multiple of named physical therapy systems. One such system is known as the "McKenzie Method"--named after Robin McKenzie who developed specific techniques for treatment of spinal pain and other associated issues in New Zealand beginning in the middle part of this century. Robin McKenzie has published multiple books including Treat Your Own Back, Treat Your Own Neck, The Lumbar Spine, The Cervical and Thoracic Spine. The McKenzie Method is now a widely acclaimed and accepted system of treatment.
The McKenzie Method and other therapy systems use mechanical diagnosis and treatment of a client's condition to reduce pain. One unique feature of this type of therapy is that the therapist instructs the client to practice a particular movement or sustained posture to facilitate mechanical diagnosis and treatment. The client provides feedback relating to the movement or sustained posture. For example, the client's feedback may describe attributes of pain experienced during and after each movement or sustained posture. From this feedback, additional movements and postures are instructed for further diagnosis and for treatment. This instruction/feedback methodology repeats and is therapeutic when practiced according to a skilled therapist's instruction.
A limitation of providing physical therapy generally is that the therapist and the patient are located together. This restricts the access of some patients to some therapists and also provides time limitations on how many patients a traveling therapist can visit in a day.
One benefit of the McKenzie method is that hands on manipulation, while useful, is not generally unnecessary to successfully treat a client. On the contrary, this and other types of physical therapy services can be competently provided through iterations of visual observation and verbal instructions relating to remedial postures or therapeutic movement.
Telemedicine is an idea that has drawn recent attention from military, government, medical professionals, insurers and computer/software specialists. Telemedicine is the provision of health care consultation and education using telecommunication networks to communicate information, and practice medicine via telecommunications and interactive video technology. Telemedicine typically involves the real time or near real-time transfer of medical information between places. Some medical systems now rely on telemedicine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,609 to Chen et al., discloses a network employing audio-visual technology to link a patient with a remote care-giver. Data and video are transferred between the caregiver and the patient to enable the patient to have access to a remote, or multiple remote caregivers. The network includes a database with accessible patient information to assist caregivers in diagnosis and treatment. This network relies on bodily condition sensors and other appliances, which may be controllable by the caregiver, to monitor a patient. The video technology, in particular, is remotely controlled to enable the caregiver to visually search particular areas. The audio technology enables the caregiver to listen to sounds made by the patient. There is no disclosure, however, of addressing a physical condition by applying such a system. There is also no disclosure using physical therapy techniques in conjunction with such a system.
While telemedicine is making great strides, there is still an unmet need to provide physical therapy services to all the patients who would benefit from such service. There is also a need to enable a patient to see any of a number of physical therapists without undue burden. Methods of providing physical therapy services are sought which are cost-effective, readily available and which can help the physical condition of a physical therapy client.